Coach Dirk Koetter said his offense needed to add playmakers, and Jackson led the NFL in yards per catch among receivers with more than 25 catches. Last season, Tampa Bay was the only team that did not record a pass play of 50 yards.

DeSean Jackson's contract is expected to be for more than $10 million a year, less than the deal for the player he is replacing: Vincent Jackson, who just completed a five-year, $55 million deal.

Also Thursday, the Bucs announced they had signed DeSean Jackson's Washington teammate DT Chris Baker.

"Heading into free agency, Chris was one of our priority targets on the defensive side of the ball," said General Manager Jason Licht said on Buccaneers.com. “He is a big, athletic player who has developed into a disruptive interior linemen over the past three years. He will be a great addition to our defensive line and a solid fit in Mike Smith's defensive system."

In the past three seasons, Baker played in 47 games with 39 starts, racking up 141 tackles, 11.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and four passes defensed.

In other signings, the Bucs retained RB Jacquizz Rodgers and S Chris Conte. Rodgers, who led the team in rushing in 2016, signed a multi-year deal. Conte signed a two-year deal.